Apparatus for molding building blocks



P. E. SCOTT APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BUILDING BLOCK Dec. 8, 1942.

Filed Dec. 30, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 x E m mi mm J Dec. 8, 1942. P. E. sco'rr APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BUILDING BLOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec 30, 1940 INVENTOR. 4 Z 560 TT lame-x Dec. 8, 1942. P; QTT 2,304,660

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BUILDING BLOCK Filed Dec. so, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. J" 0 Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MOLDING BU LDING BLOCKS 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus ,for manufacturing building blocks or similar objects.

My inventionrelates more particularly to an imof the type described that is efiicient in operation and capable of producing a highly improved typeof block.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine or apparatus of the type described whereby unskilled artisans, by the use of the machine, may make such blocks easily, accurately and in large capacity.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved process of manufacturing concrete blocks or blocks of a similar nature whereby the steps of removing the block from the mold are practically eliminated and a simple method of removing the mold from the'blocks is substituted. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of the type described which e includes the steps of delivering the concrete or other mixture to a hopper, moving the hopper over a mold, vibrating and paclL'ng the material into the mold to construct a block of desired strength and density, and then removing the mold by withdrawing the side walls from the formed block, permitting the operator to pick up the support upon which the block has been molded, and place the same in a drying room.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for carrying out the above described steps cheaply and efficiently.

A further object is to provide in a block manuiacturing apparatus, improved treadle-controlled mechanism for horizontally movingthe side walls of the mold away from a block after the same has been formed.

A further object is to provide mechanism of the type described that iseasily adapted to changes in .shape or size so that a number of differentsize .parent from the following description .wherein proved apparatus for making building blocks of reference is had to theaccompanying three sheets of drawings, upon which Fig. l is a front elevational view of one embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out my improved process;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the machine taken generally on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

ffifig. 3 is a plan sectional view showing my improved mold and associated parts and is taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. ,4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane of Fig. 1, showing portions of my improved mold and the mechanism for removing the side walls from the molded block in a changed position;

Fig. 5is a vertical sectional view taken on the line '5-5 of Fig. 3, showing a block marking device; and

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of one type of blocks which can be manufactured by the use of my improved process and apparatus.

"In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate, I have shown generally a vertical frame constructed of the upright angle members l8 and i2 suitably connected together adjacent their lower ends by the cross-frame members M. The frame members ii) and I2 may continue upwardly from the cross members l4 adjacent thelower end of the same andbe provided with a platform or table portion l-6 suitably fastened within the four angle members ill, I 0, l2 and +2. The mold 18 maybe positioned upon the table l6 and directly below a stationary horizontol wall 20 which forms a base for a movable auxiliaryhopperfi. A pair of vertical side walls 24 and '26 may extend upwardly upon the sides of auxiliary hopper 22 and provide enclosing side walls --for the hopper 2 6 to which the mixed concrete or other materialis adapted to be delivered.

"The hopper --26 is further formed with the front wall 2-8, the inclined wall 30 and the back wall 32, forming a rectangular opening which coincides with-the opening '34ato the chamber 34 in the auxiliary-(hopper 2 2 i Ihe-m-aterial-from'which the blocks are to be formed may bemixed and then placed uponan endless conveyor 36 which generally comprises a .pair of .spacedchains connected by angle memlbersr38. .A stationary-platform 40 terminating at a point J52 emayibe positionedunder the endless .conveyo-rso that material may be carried .up-

wardlyland dropped from theoconveyor at the point 42 i1'lt0'the ;hO}}p6I' 26. The chainsof the endless w conveyor may betra e ho tspr clset e the table I6. To further insure 2 wheels 44 which are mounted upon a horizontal shaft 46 supported in sui able bearings in the uprights 48 and 58. The shaft 48 may be driven by a chain 52 trained over a sprocket wheel 54 keyed to the shaft 48, the chain being driven from a sprocket wheel 56 keyed to the shaft 58. Shaft 58 is in turn driven by a sprocket wheel 68 which receives a chain drive 62 from a sprocket wheel 64 keyed to the shaft 66. Shaft 66 may be mounted in a suitable bearing ber 18 connected to the uprights I8 and I2. Afiywheel 12 is mounted upon the shaft 66 being driven by a belt I4 from a source of power such as an electric motor I6 supported on a suitable base I8 adjacent the lower end of the machine.

I provide means for reciprocating the auxiliary hopper 22 on the platform 28 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position above the mold I8 and back. This mechanism may include a carriage for the same comprising the rollers 88 which ride upon the tracks 82 and a drive for the same. The driving means consists of a friction disc 84 positioned between a pair of vertically disposed driving discs 86 mounted on shaft 58. The disc 84 is mounted on the end of a screwthreaded rod 88 which screw-threadedly engages a block 88 rigidly secured to the auxiliary housing 22; thus, when the rod 88 is angularly pivoted about its bearing 92 to bring the friction disc 84 in contact with one or the other of the driving discs 86, the rod 88 will be turned and by means of its connection with the block 88, the auxiliary housing 22 will be moved forward or back as desired. A suitable stop 94 is provided for the extreme back position of the hopper, and stop members including plates 96 are provided at the forward end of the machine to permit the alignment of the hopper chamber 34 over the mold I8. The lever 98, through suitable mechanism, is connected to the bearing 92 to move the friction disc 84 to the right or left to effect the back or forward motion of the auxiliary hopper. The auxiliary hopper 22 is provided with a top wall 22a having the opening 34a therein adapted in its initial position to be the hopper 26, the wall 22a being provided so that when the hopper 22 is moved forward, the lower end of hopper 26 will be closed.

As thus far described, mechanism has been provided for conveying a mixture such as concrete or other products from which blocks are manufactured, to a hopper 26, from where in certain positions, the material will pass into the chamber of hopper 22 in position to be moved forward to a point above the mold I8. Assuming now that the mechanism has been moved forward to a position above the mold I8, a charge of material will then be permitted to flow into the mold I8 to take the shape of the finished block. In order to pack the material into a satisfactory homogeneous mass in the mold I8, to eliminate air bubbles and other imperfections in the finished block, I have provided a vibrating mechanism which may include a shaft I88 having an offset weight thereon so that when the same is revolved at a high rate of speed a synchronous vibration will be set up. The shaft I88 may be driven from a suitable motor I8I by means of a chain I83 trained over sprockets I85 on the motor and I87 on the shaft I88. This vibration may be transmitted to the table I6 by a rigid connection between the housing I82 and upright arm I84, and a bracket I86 connected to the lower side of 68 on a back wall memaligned with the opening in the construction of a more efiicient building block, I have provided a weight member I88 carried by vertical arms I I8 which may be lowered into the chamber 34 when the same is aligned with the mold I8. A hand lever I I2 pivoted at II4 to a suitable upright, may be connected to the framework formed by the arms H8 so that when desire-d the lever I I2 may be released from its support H6 and the weight I88 may be dropped upon the top of the material in chamber 34, thus driving the same into the mold I8 to create a more perfect and more homogeneous block.

As thus far described, it can be seen that the building block, by vibration and pounding, has been formed in the mold I8 to a desired shape and consistency. The auxiliary hopper 22 may now be returned to its original position, and the block is ready to be removed from the mold and placed in a drying room.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the mold I8 may include a bracket member having a rearwardly extending arm II8 which is pivotally mounted upon the table I6 by a bolt member H2. The mold itself may include the left and right wall portions I I4 and I I6 and the connected back and front portions H8 and I28. In order to remove the block B from the mold, the handle I22 is grasped and the latch member I24 is pivotally swung to release it from the left wall II4. With this disconnection the bracket which includes the back and front walls and the connecting portion I I9 may be swung about the pivot I I2 away from the formed block. The side walls H4 and H6 are then swung away from the block B in a manner to be described and the completed block positioned upon a board or other suitable platform I26 may be picked up and carried to a drying room.

The mechanism for swinging the side walls outwardly will now be described. This mechanism may include a pair of angular slots I28 and I38 in the table I6 and bracket members I32 and I34 extending therethrough and connected to the side walls H4 and H6. The bracket members 532 and I34 which are identical, may extend downwardly through the slots I28 and I38, be pivotally mounted upon rods I36 and I38, and carry bolt members I48 and I42 adjacent their lower ends. Each of the bolt members I48 and I42 is adapted to be engaged in a desired notch I44 in an arm I46 which is connected by a pivoted bolt I48 adjacent one end to a T-shaped arm I58. The arm I58 may be pivotally connected at its lower end by the pin I52 to a foot treadle lever I54 pivotally mounted upon a rod I56 and provided with a treadle portion I58. The rod I56 may be fixedly secured in a suitable bracket on the lower frame member I4. The rods I36 and I38 may be supported in a pair of brackets I60 and I62 secured below the table portion I6. Each of the brackets is formed with a plurality of notches I64 so that the rod members may be received in any one of a plurality of notches for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

With the construction thus shown, after a block has been formed in the mold I8 and it is desired to remove the side walls, the latch I24 is unlatched and the bracket I I8 is swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 as previously described. By stepping upon the foot treadle I58 arm I58 will be raised thus swinging the bracket: I32 and I34 about their pivots I36 and I38 anc moving them away from the edges of the block The block is now free to be removed upon it:

platform I26. The side walls are all returned by reversing the operations herein described in preparation for receiving the material to form the next block. Minute adjustment is obtained for positioning the side walls H4 and H6 by the bolt members I66 and I68 which may be screwthreadedly adjusted to bear against the edges of the platform I26.

In the event that a larger size block is desired than the one shown in the drawings, the side walls H4 and H6 may be moved outwardly by lifting the brackets I32 and I34 and their crossrods I36 and I38 out of the notches I64 in which they are positioned, and moving them outwardly. In the same manner, the bolt members I40 and I42 will have to be moved outwardly in the notches I 44 of the arms I46. In addition, a new bracket IIO with longer arcuate walls I I 3 and I20 would of course be provided. The table I6 is provided with a plurality of openings I6a to re- I ceive the bracket I I when different size blocks are made, especially blocks which have parallel side walls formed on a different radius.

From the above and foregoing description it is believed to be clear to those skilled in the art that with the construction shown and by the use of a plurality of mold brackets, arcuately shaped blocks of several different sizes can be made with the same machine. If a different type of edge interlock connection is desired, different brackets I32 and I34 can be provided with the desired edge formations in the walls I I4 and I I6. The rods I36 and I38 are provided with L-shaped latch members I31 which have a leg adapted to engage under a suitable ledge I 39 on the brackets I60 and I62 when the machine is in operation. The latches are normally held in this position by spring members S.

In order to provide identifying indicia upon the completed blocks, such for example as to indicate one of three or four sizes, I have provided in the wall I of the mold, a plug member I12 having a shoulder I14 and a compression spring I16 normally holding the plug in the position shown in Fig. 5. The housing I18 encloses the same except for a button I80 which extends outwardly therefrom. When blocks of a certain size are being made and it is desired to mark them to identify the same for workmen who may use them later, after the block has been molded the operator of the machine may push in on the button I80 and with the plug I12 form an indentation such as B8 shown in Fig. 6. Upon releasing pressure upon the button I80 the plug will be sprung back into the wall I20 so that the mold bracket may be swung away from the block as previously described. It is of course understood that various sizes of mold brackets will carry different identifying marks, such for example as two openings, or openings of different shapes so that they are easily identifiable.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the exact detail shown, and I do not wish to be limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a. machine for manufacturing molded building blocks that has means for conveying material from which the blocks are constructed to a hopper on said machine and means for moving the hopper forward to overlie a mold, a mold for blocks comprising a pivotally mounted bracket having parallel front and back walls, said walls connected together at one edge, said mold having edge walls adapted to be pivotally swung away from a block when molded, and a foot treadle operated mechanism attached to said side walls for effecting said motion.

2. In a machine for manufacturing molded building blocks that has means for conveying material from which the blocks are constructed to a hopper on said machine and means for moving the hopper forward to overlie a mold, a mold for blocks comprising a pivotally mounted bracket having parallel front and back walls, said walls connected together at one edge, said mold having edge walls adapted to be pivotally swung away from a block when molded, and a foot treadle operated mechanism attached to said side walls for effecting said motion, said mechanism including a pair of bracket having spaced notches to receive pivots and pivotally mounted levers mounted in said notches.

3. In a machine for manufacturing molded building blocks that has means for conveying material from which the blocks are constructed to a hopper on said machine and means for moving the hopper forward to overlie a mold positioned on a removable platform on said machine, a mold for blocks comprising a pivotally mounted bracket, front and back walls and edge walls, and means associated with said edge walls for moving the same horizontally away from a formed block on said removable platform.

4. In a machine for manufacturing molded building blocks that has means for conveying material from which the blocks are constructed to a hopper on said machine and means for moving the hopper forward to overlie a mold positioned on a removable platform on said machine, a mold for blocks comprising a pivotally mounted bracket, front and back walls and edge walls, and means associated with said edge walls for moving the same horizontally away from a formed block on said removable platform, said means including a bracket adapted to swing in a horizontal plane about a pivot, said bracket being connected to certain of said walls.

PAUL E. SCOTT. 

